Rutgers football vs. Penn State: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet
The grind of the Big Ten season is real for Rutgers football, who go on the road on Saturday at No. 12 Penn State.
For the second straight week, Rutgers will head on the road Saturday to take on a ranked team. Penn State dropped two spots this week in the College Football Playoff rankings.
They will be looking for redemption after losing to Iowa in disappointing fashion, 22-0, last week. However, they will be facing a Penn State team that is also looking to put a disappointing loss behind them.
After their game against Michigan, Penn State fired their offensive coordinator, Mike Yurcich. In his place, Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle will try to revive a lethargic offense. Saturday represents their first opportunity to prove they can be part of the solution going forward.
GAME DAY
🆚 Penn State
🕰 12:00 PM ET
📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/vOxblFZSiW— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) November 18, 2023
While the Rutgers defense is not an easy matchup, the Scarlet Knights have struggled on the road this season. They are 1-3 away from SHI Stadium, with their only road win coming against Indiana. A win over Penn State would be one of the biggest headlines of the season.
Betting Lines
The lines, courtesy of Bet MGM
Moneyline (ML): Rutgers + 800, Penn State -1400
Point Spread: Rutgers + 20.5 -110, Penn State – 20.5 -110
Total Points: Rutgers 41.5 -110, Penn State 41.5 -110
Injury Report
Rutgers: Jose De Croce, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Naseim Brantley, out indefinitely (eligibility), Tyler Needham, out indefinitely (knee), Chris Long, out for season (upper body), Tyreem Powell, Out (hand injury)
Penn State: Jason Estrella, Quest (undisclosed), Carmelo Taylor, Quest (undisclosed), Andrew Rappleyea, Quest (undisclosed), Feyisayo Oluleye, Quest (undisclosed), Tyler Holzworth, Quest (undisclosed), Mason Stahl, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Harrison Wallace III, out indefinitely (arm), Jan Mahlert, out indefinitely (undisclosed), DK Kency, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Mason Robinson, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Jashuan Green, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Ian Harvie, out indefinitely ( undisclosed), Karson Kiesewetter, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Tyler Johnson, out indefinitely (undisclosed), Alonzo Ford Jr., out indefinitely (undisclosed)
Players to watch
Gavin Wimsatt: As Rutgers offense looks to bounce back after being shut out by Iowa, Wimsatt will play a significant role. The Kentucky native only recorded 93 passing yards last week. Wimsatt will have to spark the offense with his arms and legs for the Scarlet Knights to pull off an upset.
Drew Allar: Like Wimsatt, Allar is coming off a below-average performance. Against Michigan last week, Allar was held to under 200 passing yards for the first time in two weeks. However, he was able to find the endzone and has at least one passing touchdown in seven games. He will be looking to keep that streak alive on Saturday.
Prediction
Take Penn State in this one. Entering play on Saturday, the Nittany Lions are coming off a disappointing loss to Michigan. They will be highly motivated to get back on track and have played well against non-ranked teams this season. If the offense can produce, it could be a long afternoon for the Rutgers defense.
Past History
Penn State has dominated the all-time series between these two programs. Against Rutgers, Penn State has gone 31-2. Penn State has lost once since losing to the Scarlet Knights in the 1918 series-opening game. Rutgers will be looking to change their narrative on Saturday and record their first win against Penn State since 1988.
